By Staff Reporter

BINDURA: A local magistrate has granted an application by robbery-accused Zanu PF supporters for more time to prepare their defence against the charges.

The four activists are said to be supporters of Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman and Sports minister Kazembe Kazembe.

They are accused of robbing a haulage truck carrying food stuffs valued at $28,000 belonging to Harare businessman Tafadzwa Musarara.

Appearing before magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti, Boyd Fungulani, Shingirai Chisango, Lens Faranando and Jonah Gwenya appealed for a week to go through the state papers.

One of the defence lawyers told the court that the state had not given enough him time to prepare his defence.

“I only got the state papers today and it is my humble appeal that the case be postponed to next week Tuesday so that I have time to study the charges which my clients are being accused of”, he said in his application.

Prosecutor, Brighton Korera disputed the claim saying the State prepared its papers well ahead of the trial date.

Korera said he did not know the attorney failed to collect the papers from the court as “we” agreed.

Magistrate Muchuchuti however ruled in favour of the defence and postponed trial to this week.

It is the state’s case that on the night of 28 April at Dandamera shopping centre in Concession, the accused surrounded a 30-tonne truck belonging to Musarara who was contesting the Zanu PF primary elections against Kazembe for Mazowe West house of assembly seat.

While at the truck the state alleges that the suspects ordered the driver of the driver to surrender the car keys to them before beating him up and looting food stuffs which included flour worth $28,000.

The case was reported to Concession Police Station who referred the matter to Bindura CID section leading to the arrest of the four.

Six witnesses have been lined up for the trial.